The 4,000 Hour Work-Week!

Do you consider yourself productive? Are you the type of person that gets shit done?

In an average week I accomplish 100x more than just about everyone else around me. I execute tasks, complete projects, and push forward. Competitors that sleep on me wake up to a living nightmare.

Calculated.

Methodical.

And Highly Effective.

This post is for those of us that would get bored by a “4 Hour Workweek.” We seek to achieve excellence and are always looking to take things to the next level. No matter what successes we’ve had, yesterday’s success is always yesterday’s success. In us lies an innate hunger for achievement that is insatiable. Victories are short-lived revelries followed by the burning desire for the next challenge.

Here’s 12 Tricks I Use To Get Shit Done At A Higher Level

1. Not To-Do List

Analyze your entire day to identify the activities that are wasteful. Then create a list of Not To-Do activities.

i.e.

– Do not answer calls from numbers you do not recognize.

– Do not let people ramble on and on.

– Do not agree to meetings unless there is a clear agenda that is worth your time.

– Do not waste time on relationships that have no value.

– Do not take lunch breaks – rather have your lunch brought to your desk. Remember “Lunch is for wimps.”

2. No Small Talk Unless It Serves A Strategic Purpose

You can add this to your Not-To-Do List as well. Small talk is wasteful. Gossip is deadly.

3. Hire an Executive Assistant & an Office Assistant

There’s a big difference between an executive assistant and an office assistant. An office assistant is often shared by multiple people in an office. Office assistant’s handle tasks such as running errands, grabbing coffee for the boss, and scanning paperwork.

Quite the opposite, an executive assistant’s work consists of supporting management using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills.

If you have the ability to earn at a higher level, then bring on an executive assistant and a secretary. This will free up your time to focus on core projects.

4. Maids & Life Assistants

I spend between 96-110 hours a week working on projects. The greatest compliment that I’ve received, and it is a frequent compliment, it that I’m the hardest working SOB out there.

With a schedule that is as busy as mine, it is paramount that I have down time. Therefore I have maids & assistants helping run my home life. The last thing I want to come home to is a stressed out wife that spends her days cleaning and cooking. What fun would that be?

Instead my wife is in a position where she can spend valuable time with our kids and focus on other important things in our lives – such as our personal finances and our social life

Great people are great for a reason. Their success will rub off on you.

6. BaseCampHQ

Create a BaseCampHQ account to manage the people on your team. BaseCampHQ forces accountability.

– Setup projects using the individuals name that works with you. DO NOT setup projects using the name of the project.

CORRECT:

PROJECTS

Rich Gorman

John Doe

INCORRECT:

Projects

Email Campaign for DM

Media Buy on MSNBC for Tony Robbins

– Underneath the project for the person’s name that works with you, create separate to-do lists for each “project” they are working on. Only assign tasks to that person through their project but allow multiple people to leave comments.

– DO NOT assign tasks outside of BaseCampHQ unless there’s a very specific reason for not digitalizing the task

7. Focus On Core Strengths

Stop trying to be the jack-of-all-trades but the master-of-none. Spend time discovering what it is that you do best, then apply that to projects that will reward you the most. Hire people to compliment your weaknesses.

Bottom line: figure out ways to get things done faster and more efficiently.

9. Laser Focus After Delegating Tasks

Before you get focused on you work, delegate as much work as possible to your team members. Make sure their plates are loaded and assignments are clear. The goal is to avoid staff idle time PRIOR to putting your head down on a project.

Ray Kroc said it best: “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean!!!”

10. Conditioning The Mind

The mind is attached to the body. Strict dieting, exercising, and sleep schedules are a must if you plan to take things to the next level. Utilize these 5 tricks to improve mental stamina.

11. Create A Positive Environment

If we’re going to spend so much time at work, then we ought to have a really nice environment to work in. Here’s some things we do to create a nice atmosphere that’s “worth waking up to“:

– inspiring and energetic art. I <3 Romero Britto & Michael Godard. Their work brings out the life in ya!!!

– comfortable chairs. Herman Miller makes the best in the world. If you plan on spending the hours I spend every week sedentary, then it is a wise investment to have a comfortable chair to sit on

NOTE: Studies have shown that bad work environments can cause depression, hostility, and sometimes even suicide.

12. Turning Down Distractions

Ahh, my favorite. Lot’s of new ventures, opportunities, and invites will come your way as you climb the latter of excellence. You’ve gotta avoid these distractions like the black plague. I respectfully turn down the majority of these distractions. Unless it makes absolute sense, and will add greater value to an existing project that I’ve committed to, then it’s simply not something that I’ll get involved in.

At the end of every week my laser focus produces ground-breaking results. Time is the most precious commodity that we own. Maximize it while its yours!!!

Rich Gorman

Rich Gorman is an internet entrepreneur that builds businesses for both a living and a hobby.

I'd add Ensure+ to the list of stuff in the fridge to get a quick meal on the go when you have no time for a real meal. It really gets my energy flowing (astronauts drink it as well) But don't depend and get used to it.

I would love to see how those 4-hour work week people get it all done, because if I could get my current load done in 4 hours, that would leave so much time to take on more! I also agree with the idea of surrounding yourself with talented, successful people. Greatness by association!

And while not all of us are at a place in our career where we can afford to do all of this, we can still keep these points in mind and have a pretty good idea where we need to be headed. Laying it all out in writing like this makes it easier to visualize an objective. Someday soon...

Rich if you want to take it to an ELITE level go raw vegan. Juice greens and fruits 5 times a day. No animal products. 95% fruit and vegetables all day, nothing cooked above 118 degrees.
I'm doing this right now and I function like a champ on just 4 hours of sleep every night.
HUSTLE HARD

Roger that on #4. I got a housecleaning service this fall and it boggles my mind how much easier life is in my house. Cleaning crew does 5x better than we did in about 1/2 the time. Why? The woman who does our cleaning says she's borderline obsessive compulsive about dirt, etc whereas my wife and I only care about general safety and health (mmm... no animals or bugs yet, that can wait until tomorrow). Wife is much, much happier and I have more time for family. My work is more productive because I work out of the house most of the time and I don't have "hmm... I could go fold those close" as an excuse to procrastinate.